Pilot Study Of The Impact Of Geothermal Water Ro Concentrate Volume Minimization On The Possibility Of Comprehensive Further Use

Using membrane processes, especially reverse osmosis (RO), to concentrate geothermal waters can provide to obtain good quality new products, such as useful concentrates and permeates possible to use as drinking waters. Natural water, which possesses curative parameters, can be concentrated using membrane processes to produce curative solutions or crystalline salts used for healing baths or inhalations. Concentrates can also be a valuable resource for production metals, chemicals, and also magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium salts or other products for cosmetology industry. The aim of this work was to present the results of the research oriented towards examine the influence of recovery value of geothermal water on the quality of concentrate obtained by means of RO process. The survey was carried out on the example of two geothermal waters extracted from wells located in Poland area, which exhibit elevated concentrations of major ions, silica and other components significant for therapeutic industry. RO processes conducted in laboratory scale have allowed for a detailed recognition of the influence of the concentrate volume minimization, in adopted process parameters of permeate recovery (50% and 75%), on theirs composition. The research indicate that minimization of concentrates volume caused significant elevation of content of the desired (in some cases also undesired) components, and consequently this concentrates can be a potential source of mineral solutions applied in different industries, among others balneology or cosmetics industry.